Spiritual Direction

Life was meant to be lived with an awareness of God’s presence and love, yet so often we are too busy and distracted to notice! In spiritual direction, we set aside time to meet with someone who will prayerfully listen as we reflect on our relationship with our Creator, and who can help us discern and experience God’s presence and the Spirit’s movement in more of a moment-by-moment way.

At the Journey Center, our spiritual directors are available to meet with individuals seeking direction, usually once a month, for a fee that is determined on a sliding scale basis. If you are interested in exploring the possibility of experiencing spiritual direction as a help to you on your journey, please call us at (707) 578-2121. One of our spiritual directors will be glad to meet with you for one session at no charge to explore this with you.

SPECIAL NOTE:
THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION TO THE JOURNEY CENTER’S 2-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAM IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION AND CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT LEADERSHIP IS AUGUST 1ST! Our current interns will be graduating soon and we are now preparing for the March 2017 start of the next group to go through this excellent and unique program. If you are interested in exploring the possibility that the Spirit might be calling you to be trained to serve as a spiritual director, please contact Joanna Quintrell at 707-578-2121 or if you are interested in learning more.

Journey Home Week - Spiritual Direction: An Invitation to Encounter the Holy

Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
What is the ancient practice called spiritual direction? How can it enhance and support your spiritual journey? To find out, join us for this free workshop, which includes a demonstration of an actual session.
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A growing number of people from many spiritual paths are discovering the benefits of meeting regularly with a spiritual director in order to grow in their awareness of the presence and movement of God in their lives.

Group Spiritual Direction for Professional Caregivers, Chaplains and Clergy

Meets the third Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., November 20, December 18

Do you have a profession where you counsel, care for or serve others in crisis, trauma or under stress? Are you feeling the need to have a safe and sacred space to process or talk through what wells up in you when your vocation is in serving others? We currently have a group formed and sometimes spots open with this group.
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If you are interested in joining this group, please call the Journey Center (707) 578-2121 and we can speak with you about the status of this group or place your name on a waitlist if currently full.

Group Spiritual Direction for Women

Meets Tuesdays, October 3, November 7, December 12, January 2, February 6, March 6, April 3, May 1 and June 5, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Group spiritual direction provides a safe space to meet God in the presence of others and explore the ways God is moving in our lives. We long to honor the Holy among us in both silence and group sharing through responses to the readings from the book Present, Over Perfect as well as music, art and prayers. We will attend to connecting more deeply with God, ourselves and each other.
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Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. You can pay and register with our online registration form or by calling the Journey Center at (707) 578–2121.

Facilitators: Spiritual directors Joan Murphy, Linda Albert and Laurie HartmannGroup size: First 8 registrantsSuggested donation: $90 for the 10-part series, may be paid in three installments (you can buy the book at the first meeting, $15)Location: Journey Center Main Room

What is the ancient practice called spiritual direction? How can it enhance and support your spiritual journey? To find out, join us for this free seminar.
More>

A growing number of people from a variety spiritual paths are discovering the benefits of meeting regularly with a spiritual director to grow in their awareness of the presence and movement of God in their lives. Having a spiritual director is a rewarding practice for your journey.

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY CENTER'S 2-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAM IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION AND CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT LEADERSHIP!!

Our current interns will be graduating soon and we are now preparing for the 2014 start of the next group to go through this excellent and unique program. If you are interested in exploring the possibility that the Spirit might be calling you to be trained to serve as a spiritual director, please contact Joanna Quintrell for information. She can be reached at 707-578-2121 or .

NEW! Group Spiritual Direction: a Model for Redemptive Community

This group is forming and those who are interested will participate in the decision about when to meet.
Spirituality is a quest for the God who is longing for us, rooted in an ever-deepening desire for the unknown and unknowable - what we refer to as the Divine. In group spiritual direction, 4 - 6 people gather together monthly to become more aware of that Mystery and share that awareness in a meditative process of reflective listening and sharing.
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In group spiritual direction we are collectively present for one another. Each member must be willing to open their spiritual journeys for consideration by others as well as wholeheartedly participate in the group. In sharing the desire to grow closer to God, and creating a trusting supportive atmosphere, we will foster that desire in ourselves and in one another.

To explore the possibility of group spiritual direction, contact Dick Meyer at

DID YOU KNOW…that the Journey Center offers a 2-year Christ-centered program in Spiritual Direction and Contemplative Retreat Leadership? Our next training begins in January of 2012 and application information is now available. If you feel drawn to explore the possibility that God may be calling you to serve as a spiritual director, please contact Joanna Quintrell at or 707-578-2121. The deadline for application is October 31, 2011.

Linda Albert: Linda recently completed a two year training program in Spiritual Direction through the Center for Spiritual Direction in Chicago. She has been active in her own faith community as a retreat coordinator and speaker as well as a guide in contemplative prayer practices. Linda's first experience with spiritual direction was during a nine-month retreat in everyday life using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Living through her own dark night of the soul, Linda learned to notice the presence of God in unexpected ways and, over time, experienced a return of hope and deeper faith. It is her privilege and joy to companion others who are seeking a deeper relationship with God however they find themselves in relationship to God now … in crisis or confusion, in emptiness or in fullness and gratitude.

Dan Beach: Spiritual direction is another path to explore on your spiritual journey. It is not a solution to life’s problems but an invitation to deepen your relationship with The Holy. Dan Beach has been on the trail of walking with God for many years and now through the dynamic of Spiritual Direction extends this experience to those who would like to spend time listening with what God may be saying to you. Dan is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has been working with people facing difficulties in their life since 1976 and was on the pastoral staff of a church for nine years. He loves getting to know people and practices patient and insightful listening to foster your desire to grow in spirituality.

Ruah Bull: Ruah discovered Spiritual Direction in 1996 when it helped her move through a challenging time of spiritual opening and healing. Her own journey has brought her to a gradual return to the contemplative/mystical dimension of Roman Catholicism, which she nurtures by taking frequent retreats in monastic settings. Ruah completed her training in Direction at Mercy Center in 2001, and has a particular interest in working with 'spiritual but not religious' folks who often do not have access to spiritual direction. She specializes in working with people on non-traditional paths, helping professionals, and people entering the contemplative journey. She works in a variety of ecumenical and interfaith settings, and is a certified trainer of Centering Prayer through Contemplative Outreach. Ruah's passion is to bring people from different traditions and practices together to share God's call to community, conversation and contemplation.

Helen Cepero: Helen currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska and joins us here in Santa Rosa throughout the year for for training intensives, special events and retreats. She is available for spiritual direction appointments while she is in town, and also leads workshops and retreats. Helen received her training at the Spiritual Director's Institute (Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA). Helen has worked in spiritual direction in a number of settings for over 20 years, including involvement with the Pastoral Care Commission of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, the Center for AIDS Services in Oakland, CA and Kairos Prison Ministry at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA. She currently trains spiritual directors at the Mercy Center,Multnomah Biblical Seminary, the Center for Spiritual Direction, Chicago, IL. and the Journey Center (where she is the Program Director).

Laurie Hartmann: Laurie Hartmann graduated from the Journey Center's two-year training program in spiritual direction and contemplative retreat leadership in 2010. She offers individual spiritual direction in Sebastopol and leads contemplative prayer groups and retreats, often with an emphasis on music. She finds joy in listening for the movement of the Holy One in others.

Dick Meyer: Born and raised Roman Catholic, Dick had a conversion encounter with Christ in his early 20’s, sold all to attend Bible college and graduate school, and then served as a pastor in evangelical churches for 20 years. Serving God and His people eventually brought him to a spiritual crisis. In the midst of that dark wilderness experience, Dick would say “spiritual direction found me”. He graduated from a two year Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership program offered through the Journey Center and then continued studies at Mercy Center in group spiritual direction.

Julie Miller: Five years ago, Julie would have described her spiritual walk as mostly in her head and disconnected from her heart. She has felt God’s presence most acutely in the outdoors and has spent the majority of her life guiding and educating people in that setting. In 2006 she moved from Yosemite to Santa Rosa and has been on a transformative journey to embrace that Presence in her everyday life, no matter where she happens to be. Julie graduated from the two-year Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership program offered through the Journey Center and is completing a Masters in Theological Studies. She leads many of the Encountering God in Creation workshops and outings here at the Journey Center.

Alexandra Montoya: Alexandra has lived with the scripture “Be still and know that I am God” for over 30 years. But it was in 2004, in the midst of an emotional and spiritual crisis, that she began to discover the profound blessings of living the contemplative life of stillness, silence and solitude. A former master’s level counselor and director in public health/ mental health/ alcohol/drug services, Alex has many years of experience leading various kinds of groups. She brings that skill to the Journey Center, leading groups and offering counseling and spiritual direction with a special emphasis on women’s spirituality, recovery, healing, deep heart work, identity, and the joy of living from our heart’s desires. Growing up in both Lutheran and Pentecostal traditions, she likes to remember: When in doubt, sing! as music is one of her many forms of prayer, especially black gospel.

Joanna Quintrell: It was in the year 2000 that Joanna found herself in a spiritual crisis and first learned about spiritual direction. Her own experience seeing a spiritual director was life-changing and heart-transforming, as no one had ever taught her how to nurture her own inner life with God. After a few years, she felt a calling to serve others as a spiritual director and was initially trained at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA in 2003 (one-month intensive). Joanna has been working as a spiritual director since then. She received additional training and experience through the two year training program at the Center for Spiritual Direction in Chicago, IL., and serves a the co-director of the Journey Center's training program for spiritual directors.